Omaha to host U.S. Olympic swimming trials in ‘16

By Richard Oliver :
April 27, 2013

Lori Becknell, left, and Tammy Bookbinder, center, the wife of Russ Bookbinder, San Antonio Sports President and CEO, watch and wait for the announcement by USA Swimming to find out if San Antonio will host the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials-Swimming at the High Velocity Sports Bar at the JW Marriott San Antonio on Saturday, April 27, 2013.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/Express-News

Lori Becknell, left, and Tammy Bookbinder, center, the wife of Russ Bookbinder, San Antonio Sports President and CEO, react to the announcement by USA Swimming that Omaha, Neb. was chosen over San Antonio to host the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials-Swimming at the High Velocity Sports Bar at the JW Marriott San Antonio on Saturday, April 27, 2013.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/Express-News

Tammy Bookbinder, the wife of Russ Bookbinder, San Antonio Sports President and CEO, watches and waits for the announcement by USA Swimming to find out if San Antonio will host the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials-Swimming at the High Velocity Sports Bar at the JW Marriott San Antonio on Saturday, April 27, 2013.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/Express-News

Ross Davis, Director of Marketing at San Antonio Sports, center, wipes a tear as George Block, from left, San Antonio Sports Founder/Chairman of the Board of Directors, left, addresses the crowd with Russ Bookbinder, San Antonio Sports President and CEO, and Jenny Carnes, San Antonio Sports Associate Executive Director, Events and Bids, after the announcement by USA Swimming that Omaha, Neb. was chosen over San Antonio to host the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials-Swimming at the High Velocity Sports Bar at the JW Marriott in San Antonio on Saturday, April 27, 2013.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/Express-News

Jenny Carnes, Associate Executive Director, Events & Bids with San Antonio Sports, right, is embraced by Sylvia Montemayor, San Antonio Sports Director of Finance, after the announcement by USA Swimming that Omaha, Neb. was chosen over San Antonio to host the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials-Swimming at the High Velocity Sports Bar at the JW Marriott San Antonio on Saturday, April 27, 2013.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/Express-News

Mike Sawaya, center, Director of the City of San Antonio's Convention, Sports and Entertainment Facilities watches and waits for the announcement by USA Swimming to find out if San Antonio will host the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials-Swimming at the High Velocity Sports Bar at the JW Marriott San Antonio on Saturday, April 27, 2013.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/Express-News

Lori Becknell, left, and Tammy Bookbinder, center, the wife of Russ Bookbinder, San Antonio Sports President and CEO, watch and wait for the announcement by USA Swimming to find out if San Antonio will host the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials-Swimming at the High Velocity Sports Bar at the JW Marriott San Antonio on Saturday, April 27, 2013.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/Express-News

Tammy Bookbinder, center, the wife of Russ Bookbinder, San Antonio Sports President and CEO, watches and waits with Lori Becknell, left, for the announcement by USA Swimming to find out if San Antonio will host the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials-Swimming at the High Velocity Sports Bar at the JW Marriott San Antonio on Saturday, April 27, 2013.

USA Swimming announced tonight that Omaha, Neb., has been awarded the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials-Swimming, beating out fellow finalists San Antonio and St. Louis.

In a webcast from the organization's offices at Colorado Springs, officials made the announcement that the city had been chosen to host the competition over eight days to be announced in July of that year. It is the third straight time that Omaha has won the right to host the competition.

The Trials, which will include roughly 1,200 competitors from around the country, will determine the U.S. team that will compete at the Summer Olympics to be held in August 2016 at Rio de Janeiro. USA Swimming officials estimate the competition will result in at least a $35 million economic windfall for the host city.

San Antonio was attempting to host its first-ever Olympic Trials event.